BlueMustang

I am still trying to find a Dr in Utah that is familiar with PANDAS.. I know for certain that his sudden big dual arm movements were a week after he finished this strep antibiotic in Jan.. I took a video when the large ones first started if anyone wanted to see, I put it as private YouTube (PM me). It's now a much less dual arm movement and usually when he is excited or stressed. You should have seen him on his birthday this past week, he was so excited, he was ticking like crazy. He definitely has had smaller tics for at least a year if not more though and does those all through out the day.. Pats his hair, rubs his hand on his chin, rubs his fingers or cracks knuckles (looks like he is milking a cow), rolls shoulders, face changes.. And since he had croup a few weeks ago and was given two doses of an oral steroid, I know that effects him negatively. Maybe his normal dr would at least do the rapid/48hr strep test to see if that shows anything?

Hi, I found this website a few days ago when my almost 7 year old DS kept taking deep breaths.. And I discovered in a few places as well as on the TIc/Tourette's board that it was probably a tic (or anxiety) since no other cold symptoms, coloring was fine, etc. I explained his history on there (I tend to ramble lol) but basically.. Over a christmas break, his older sister was diagnosed with a yucky virus and strep.. The day she got her antibiotic, this kiddo had the same symptoms and I had a prescription called in for him. The other two kids came down with it the day after and I had antibiotics called in for them as well. About four days after the antibiotic was finished, he suddenly did these huge arm movements whenever he was excited.. After a few days of it not going away, I googled.. And I read about tics, Tourette's and also PANDAS. But.. In my search, I discovered that DS has many other motor tics that he has had for probably two years, (some have come and gone) so I presumed it wasn't PANDAS. Two weeks ago he woke up with a Croupy cough so I took him into the dr for oral steroids and also asked about his tics. The dr told me it was a Tic disorder and about it.. I forgot to mention PANDAS. Someone on the Tic board suggested that I post here as well. So, in your opinions, can the sudden, very obvious motor tic be related to strep or antibiotic/PANDAS in addition to tics? Or did it just happen to pop up? It has since decreased quite a bit. And if I get him tested, how can I find a dr in Salt Lake City, UT that is familiar with this? What testing so i ask for? I also think he has some ADD going on.. Do I just go to a neurologist or something about everything? I'd love to hear any thoughts or advice.

Thanks for the input.. I will post on the PANDAS board. I cringed when I started reading on here that steroids effect tics.. I am guessing that was what the sudden deep breathing he was doing is from.. Maybe? Not knowing is so stressful.. It has lessened quite a bit since Friday. So what do you guys do in cases where steroids are needed? I have four kids and the only time they were able to kick Croup was with two or so doses of steroid.. And do you find that it is just a temporary increase? Does something like an allergy pill effect tics? This is all new for me. What other factors can Tics stem from? It was just his Pediatrician that saw him and said it was a Tic disorder. Thanks for the heads up on the medication for ADD.. I would prefer to approach it non-medication anyway. His teachers seemed to be willing to help if needed, sitting him closer to the teacher, doing things like tapping his shoulder to remind him to stay on task.. But for now, he is doing poorly in that he doesn't stay focused. It's frustrating at home too. Do you know, is there one Dr that can help me with all this? Like a Neurologist? Or someone else? Thanks again for your help.

Hi, I just found this forum last night and thought I'd ask for advice.. Sorry I am so long winded! The middle of January, my almost 7 year old DS started doing very large arm movements that he could not control.. Both arms would swing around twice, he'd roll his shoulders and then he'd clap or if he was at the computer desk, he would hit it with his palms.. His face expression was as if someone blew air in his eyes. This kiddo never sits still and I didn't mention it to him much (thinking maybe it was intentional- didn't want to encourage it with attention) but the few times I did ask him, he said his body just did it. I noticed it happened when he was more excited about something like going outside to play or school, when we first arrive somewhere, waiting his turn to play basketball, etc. I started googling about Tourette's and Tics and watching him more closely and was shocked to find out that lots of little movements he does are considered tics.. He constantly wipes the back of his hand on his chin or rubs by bis nose and will pat the front of his hair as if it was sticking up.. He widens his eyes.. I had no idea until I watched him but he rubs his fingers together, likes to smell them, he will move his fingers like he is cracking them.. He used to jerk his head to the side like he was getting the hair out of his eyes but has stopped that.. He had longer hair (covered the top of his ears) but it wasn't in his eyes.. The beginning of this school year (first grade) he started squinting/ blinking with one eye. I asked if it was dry or hurt and it didn't and he passed the school eye exam so I just waited. That stopped in December(so four months total).. He used to rolls his shoulders back .. I haven't noticed any verbal tics although for probably two years now, he likes to blow his nose. Soooo gross.. He doesn't care if snot comes out... It's mostly when he is watching a show or on the computer or in the car. I haven't seen him do it at school when I help in his class. So I tend to think of it as a gross habit.. Makes me crazy! I'm always yelling for him to get a tissue. Those huge arm motions have calmed down some, it's not as dramatic/obvious but still there. They are worse if he doesn't get enough sleep. Anyway, so in my google researching I discovered PANDAS.. His sister tested positive for strep over Christmas break and also had a yucky virus.. He had a fever/same symptoms the day after her and so a prescription was called in.. He finished that around Jan. 5th and those big arm movements started around a week later. But has all those other tics that have been around for at least a year... Also, I took him to the dr a week ago after waking up with a croupy cough and he took two doses or oral steroids.. He had terrible mood swings after that (he is always loud and louder, especially when protesting, he has no quiet button lol) but the dr said to expect that.. I talked to the dr about the tics (which caused DS to tic in front of him) and he said its definitely a tic disorder which will hopefully go away around puberty. I forgot to bring up PANDAS. Last night, he started doing very deep breaths while playing and said he afraid he was going to die. That freaked me out but he could still laugh, talk, coloring was fine..I even put him in the steamy bathroom with no change.. But it stopped just before he fell asleep.. In googling, I found that can be a tic (how I found this board). He did it again this morning but not as often (he didn't mention it at all) and now it has stopped. As a side note, I also think he has some ADD going on..in Kindergarten he was always called a slow poke (not in front of him) because he took forever to complete his work.. This year is the same. He is in a dual Immersion class where half his day is taught in only Spanish (math and Spanish) and so the English half is very fast paced/demanding. He knows how to do it but is often reprimanded for not working quickly/completing work. Homework takes around an hour most days for the same reasons. He turns 7 the end of the month and I will ask his his dr about testing.. i'm not interested in medicating but how to help him stay on task. He has parent/teacher conferences this next week and I'll ask their thoughts.. They asked the beginning of the year about ADD or auditory processing disorder. So.. Thoughts? Do I ask about PANDAS and for testing even though smaller tics have been around? And what test do I ask for?